Stories Jesus Told Me: The Unruly Child

Excerpted from Stories Jesus Told Me

When Jesus came to our village he happened upon a woman beating her son. “But I didn’t do it!” the child cried, but she continued beating him anyway.

“Why are you beating your child?” Jesus asked.

“I left home for only a few minutes to fetch water,” the woman explained, “and when I returned he had wrecked the entire house. Come, I will show you.”

Jesus followed the woman into her home where he found everything in shambles. Dishes were broken, pictures were torn from the walls, the feathers pulled from the pillows and strewn about the room… even going so far as to tear pages from the holy books. It was all a horrible mess. Then, walking back out the door he said, “Come child, let’s you and I help your mother clean and repair the broken things.”

“But I didn’t do it,” the little boy sobbed.

“Well come and help anyway,” Jesus instructed.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning and repairing while all the while the boy continued to deny having torn up the house. “Thank you for your help,” the woman offered, “How can I repay you.”

“My reward is in knowing I helped,” Jesus answered. “You need not, nor will I accept payment. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” the woman waved as Jesus walked away.

The next day as he was passing by, Jesus again came upon the same woman beating her son as the boy screamed, “I didn’t do it!”

“What has the child done now?” Jesus asked.

“I went to get water,” the woman explained, “and when I returned he had poured out all the food, and scattered it across the floors.”

“Come,” Jesus looked at the child, “let’s go clean up the mess.”

“But I didn’t do it,” the child shouted.

“Let’s help your mother anyway,” Jesus commanded.

Before leaving Jesus called upon the neighbors to help the woman replace her lost stores as she had no money. The neighbors all quickly brought her enough food for many days. Again, Jesus wanted nothing in return.

On the third day as Jesus was passing by the house he found the woman outside the front door screaming for help. “What’s the matter?” Jesus asked.

“There’s a monkey in my house and it is tearing all our clothes to bits,” the woman answered. Jesus quickly rushed into the house and chased the wild animal away. When he came back out he found the woman sitting on the ground crying uncontrollably.

“Do not cry,” he said. “Your neighbors will give you clothes while your son and I clean up the mess.”

“It’s not that,” the woman moaned, “I beat my son twice for crimes he did not commit. Now he will hate me.”

“No I won’t,” the boy comforted his mother. “You didn’t know.”

“You have learned,” Jesus explained, “what you see is not always what really took place. Look into the heart before you accuse.”

To be continued…